USFL Playoffs : Baltimore’s Big Plays Stun Birmingham

The Baltimore Stars figured correctly: Go for the long gain instead of trying to peck away at the league’s top defense.

Kelvin Bryant shocked Birmingham with two record-setting plays as Baltimore defeated the Stallions, 28-14, Sunday for a shot at its second straight championship.

“I have a lot of respect for Birmingham’s defense, but their defense may be easier to break a big play on than it is to gain a simple four to five yards,” Baltimore Coach Jim Mora said.

The Stars scored on plays of 70, 76 and 30 yards and an interception to take a 28-0 lead before Birmingham scored.

“Bryant is good,” said Chuck Clanton, a Stallion defensive back. “You sure can’t take anything away from him.”

Baltimore did not get above .500 until seven games ago, but won six of its last seven to gain the playoffs. The one loss was to Birmingham, which also had defeated the Stars earlier in the season.

“Somehow we have managed to battle back,” Mora said. “There is no question that we have fought off a lot of adversity this year.”

The Stars (12-7-1) will meet Oakland, the Western Conference champion, in the title game next Sunday at East Rutherford, N.J. Oakland defeated Memphis, 28-19, Saturday in its semifinal game.

The Stars won the championship last year while playing in Philadelphia. The game will be the USFL’s last as a spring league. It will switch to the fall in 1986. The Stars lost the initial league championship in 1983 to the Michigan Panthers.

Birmingham, the 1985 Eastern Conference winner, ended its season at 14-6 before 23,250 fans.

Chuck Fusina and Bryant connected on a 70-yard play, the longest scoring pass in league playoff history to make the score 21-0 in the second period.

Bryant broke through the line and scampered 76 yards in the final quarter, the longest scoring run in playoff history.

Bryant gained 116 yards on 13 carries and another 101 on four catches. Fusina was 10 of 16 for 210 yards passing.

Birmingham’s Jim Smith set a playoff record with 10 catches, for 110 yards. Quarterback Cliff Stoudt connected on 29 of 50 passes for 327 yards.

Baltimore got a quick 14-0 lead on Jonathan Sutton’s 36-yard interception return on the game’s third play, and a 30-yard Fusina pass to Victor Harrison on its first possession.

Birmingham, frustrated by a sticky defense and mistakes most of the game, managed two final-quarter scores on a 14-yard pass from Stoudt to Joey Jones, and a one-yard run by Joe Cribbs.

The Stallions blew two first-half opportunities. They moved to the 16, but a sack and intentional grounding forced an unsuccessful 43-yard field goal attempt by Danny Miller, his first miss after 11 straight in playoff competition.

Later, with fourth down on the three, a Stoudt pass fell incomplete in the end zone.